Additive Snack - 3D Printing Offers Opportunity to Custom Bike Designers with Kris Henry of 44 Bikes

3D Printing Offers Opportunity to Custom Bike Designers with Kris Henry of 44 Bikes

03/26/24 • 46 min

Bike enthusiasts understand the importance of quality welds, dynamic suspensions, and low-maintenance bikes. But to have a bike custom designed to their unique specifications is a dream come true. Today’s guest not only builds custom bikes he designs the parts using additive manufacturing (AM).

Today, host Fabian Alefeld speaks with the owner and founder of 44 Bikes, Kris Henry, and EOS’ Spencer Thompson. Kris shares his passion for creating custom bikes and describes how he uses the design and supply chain aspects of AM to make handcrafted custom bikes accessible to a larger user group. Spencer offers insights into the state of AM adoption by small business owners, highlights the partnership opportunities available to manufacturers, and shares the hurdles independent builders face in the AM space.

Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.

Key Takeaways:

[2:11] 44 Bikes was born of Kris’ love of bicycles and his passion for designing things.

[8:48] The benefits of additive manufacturing in building custom bicycles.

[20:07] 3D printing offers small shop owners and bike enthusiasts a whole new level of design.

[26:29] Supply chain challenges and speed to market increase AM adoption in small businesses.

[34:22] When only a few parts are needed, finding manufacturers to partner with is a big hurdle.

[36:03] The lack of protocols or universal standards for additive manufacturing creates a huge learning curve for independent builders.

Resource Links:

EOS

44 BIKES

Spencer Thompson on LinkedIn

Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.

Key Takeaways:

[2:11] 44 Bikes was born of Kris’ love of bicycles and his passion for designing things.

[8:48] The benefits of additive manufacturing in building custom bicycles.

[20:07] 3D printing offers small shop owners and bike enthusiasts a whole new level of design.

[26:29] Supply chain challenges and speed to market increase AM adoption in small businesses.

[34:22] When only a few parts are needed, finding manufacturers to partner with is a big hurdle.

[36:03] The lack of protocols or universal standards for additive manufacturing creates a huge learning curve for independent builders.

Resource Links:

EOS

44 BIKES

Spencer Thompson on LinkedIn

Previous Episode

The History of Additive Manufacturing in the U.S. Army with L.J. Holmes

Are you curious about how the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) uses additive manufacturing (AM)? The military’s innovative approach has a 30-year roadmap, which was authored by this week’s guest.

In this special episode, host Fabian Alefeld speaks with LJ Holmes. LJ has one of the most diverse jobs in the AM industry. He is the Executive Director of Advanced Manufacturing Research and Engineering at Harrisburg University. His rich background in AM from its historical roots in the DoD to current uses and future applications. LJ describes his AM journey from the Army Research Center to Harrisburg University, how AM has evolved within the defense sector, and some undocumented stories of early use cases and current applications within the DoD.

Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.

Key Takeaways:

[1:50] LJ shares his journey to AM and the integration of AM at the Army Research Center and the Department of Defense.

[11:47] Authoring the 30-year Additive Manufacturing Roadmap was the last project LJ completed for the Army Research Center.

[17:15] Harrisburg University of Science and Technology offers students an advanced manufacturing curriculum and STEM-focused education.

[26:35] Additively manufactured components may or may not have been used in military vehicles as early as the 2000s.

[29:41] Additive applications for future civilian and military use.

[42:17] During AMUG 2024, LJ will introduce a 50-foot-tall friction stir hybrid additive machine.

Resource Link:

EOS

LJ Holmes on LinkedIn

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

JDAMMIT.com

ASTROA.org — AM Forward focus

Next Episode

A Space Roundtable with NASA, Rocket Lab, The European Space Agency, and TRUMPF

Space exploration and additive manufacturing (AM) are accelerating rapidly. SpaceX was able to reach orbital velocity with its latest starship launch, providing beautiful imagery upon its reentry. Rocket Lab had its 45th launch, with 22 additional launches planned for this year, and the first metal 3D printer installation on the International Space Station (ISS). With these accomplishments achieved, where will AM fit into our space journey's future?

To find out, Host Fabian Alefeld ventures into the final frontier with a space roundtable with an all-star panel, featuring Paul Gradl, Principal Engineer at NASA, Myles Keefer, Manager of Additive Manufacturing at Rocket Lab, Eliana Fu, Industry Manager of Aerospace & Medical at TRUMPF, and Advenit Makaya, Advanced Manufacturing Engineer at the European Space Research and Technology Centre of the European Space Agency.

Comments about the show or wish to share your AM journey? Contact us at [email protected]. The Additive Snack Podcast is brought to you by EOS.

Key takeaways:

[2:28] Additive manufacturing is a critical component of space exploration.

[5:50] Common additive manufacturing challenges in space applications.

[10:57] Additive manufacturing adoption in Europe.

[13:28] Challenges of materials development today, and in the future.

[26:16] How to leverage additive manufacturing for new innovative projects.

[40:30] Machine manufacturer pain points and challenges.

[51:48] What is driving additive innovation in Europe?

[1:00:17] How to inspire a new generation of manufacturing engineers.

Resource links:

EOS